Kevin Alston

An outside back who excels defensively, especially in one-on-one situations, but also likes to get forward down the flank … began his professional career exclusively at right back, but transitioned to left back at the end of the 2012 season to great effect … has tremendous pace, both defensively and offensively … before arriving at the Revs, played left back at collegiate powerhouse Indiana … a tenacious ball-winner ... before 2013, had started every game in which he’d appeared since joining the Revs as a rookie in 2009 … ranks in the team’s career top 10 in several career categories: appearances (10th, 121), starts (eighth, 118) and minutes played (ninth, 10,265) … left Indiana following his junior season to sign a Generation adidas contract with Major League Soccer … was a 2010 MLS All-Star, named to the team by head coach Bruce Arena for the match against Manchester United … diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a rare but treatable – but not yet curable – form of leukemia in early April 2013 and later honored with the 2013 MLS WORKS Comeback Player of the Year award for his courageous and spirited return to the field in May … Twitter account: @KAlston30.

2013: The 2013 MLS WORKS Comeback Player of the Year after being diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in early April, and returning to the field in late July. Made nine appearances, including six starts, all at left back. Started the team’s first four matches before learning of his CML diagnosis following the March 30 match vs. Dallas. Missed all of April, May and June while on a leave of absence from the team while receiving treatment, but returned to the training field in early July. Came off the Disabled List on July 15 and was part of the 18-man roster for first time since March 30 at Colorado (July 17). Came on as a second-half substitute at D.C. (July 27), marking his first appearance since being diagnosed with CML. Drew the start at left back at Kansas City (Aug. 10) - his first since March 30 - and played 57 minutes. Came on as a second-half sub at Montreal (Oct. 12), his first appearance since Aug. 10, and also made a substitute appearance against Columbus (Oct. 19), marking the first time he appeared in consecutive matches since March 23 and March 31. Started at Columbus (Oct. 27), his first start since Aug. 10 at Kansas City, but was forced out of the game in the first half with a left hamstring injury. Missed both of the Revs’ MLS Cup Playoff matches against Sporting Kansas City with the hamstring injury.

2012: Made 31 appearances and 31 starts, both team highs. Saw time at both outside back positions, including 23 starts at right back and eight starts at left back. Played a team-best 2,623 minutes. Recorded one assist. His lone assist came at LA (March 31) when he set up Chris Tierney’s first-half goal. Came off at halftime of the LA game with hamstring stiffness and missed the match at Dallas (April 5) with the injury, ending his personal-best and then team-leading 37-game consecutive appearances streak that dated back to early in the 2011 season. Missed a total of three matches on the year, all with various hamstring ailments: at Dallas (April 5), vs. Seattle (June 30) and vs. Kansas City (Aug. 4). Made his 100th career start – and 100th career appearance – in the game at Philadelphia (July 29). Made his first career start at left back against Philadelphia (Sept. 1) and remained there for the final eight games of the season.

2011: Made a team-high and career-high 33 appearances, all starts at right back. Led the team in minutes played (2,954), setting the club record for minutes played in a season. Recorded one assist – a secondary assist off a throw-in at Colorado (July 23) on Benny Feilhaber’s first goal as a Rev. Made his season debut against D.C. United (March 26) after sitting out the season opener at LA (March 20) with a left hamstring strain. Started in the friendly against Manchester United (July 13). Recorded his first assist of the season, a secondary assist, at Colorado (July 23). Set a new personal consecutive appearances record at 32 with a start against Columbus (Oct. 15) and entered 2012 on a team-best 33-game appearance streak.

2010: A 2010 MLS All-Star. Voted the Revs’ 2010 Best Defender by the team’s beat media. Started 22 games at right back, recording one assist. Missed a total of eight league games with hamstring issues, including the final four games of the regular season. Recorded his first assist of 2010 - and his second career assist - on a throw-in resulting in Chris Tierney’s game-tying goal on Sept. 4 against Seattle. Left the game against Columbus (Sept. 25) in the 34th minute after straining his left hamstring and missed the last four games with the injury. Started four SuperLiga matches at right back. Was a late scratch against Morelia (July 20) with right hamstring tightness. Returned to the lineup against Puebla (Aug. 4), but left in the second half with a mild left hamstring strain. Started and scored his first professional goal against Monarcas Morelia (Sept. 1) in the final.

2009: Made 26 appearances – all starts – during the regular season, all on the right side of a four-man backline. Overall, made 30 appearances, including two during SuperLiga and both MLS Cup Playoff matches against Chicago. Recorded one assist, on Kheli Dube’s game-winning goal at Houston (July 25). Missed four games (April 4-May 3) with a strained right hamstring. Made his MLS debut in the season opener at San Jose (March 21). Twice during the season suffered fouls that led to red-card ejections for opposing players: Chad Barrett against Toronto (Aug. 1) and Emmanuel Ekpo against Columbus (Oct. 10). Started two matches in SuperLiga, missing two with hamstring tightness. Recorded one assist in SuperLiga, on Jeff Larentowicz’s goal against Santos Laguna (June 21). Played all 180 minutes at right back in the two games of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series against Chicago.

COLLEGE: A two-time All-Big Ten selection (2007, 2008) and a 2008 NSCAA All-Great Lakes region selection … left collegiate power Indiana after his junior season to sign a Generation adidas contract with MLS … appeared in 64 career games with the Hoosiers, starting 61 … notched five goals and two assists while playing primarily as a left back … spearheaded Indiana’s backline that recorded 10 shutouts in 2008, including eight against top-25 teams … helped lead the Hoosiers to three consecutive appearances in the Big Ten title game, including a conference championship in his freshman season … helped guide Indiana to NCAA Tournament berths in each of his three years at the school, including a quarterfinal appearance in 2008 … earned Defensive MVP honors at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic in both his sophomore and junior seasons.

U.S. NATIONAL TEAM: Earned first call-in to camp with the full U.S. Men’s National Team for its annual January camp in 2010, but suffered a hamstring injury at camp and was unable to fully participate … called into camp again ahead of the team’s match against El Salvador in February 2010, but he re-aggravated the hamstring injury in training with the Revs the day before the start of camp and did not attend … was a member of U.S. Soccer’s Residency Program and the Under-17 National Team from September 2003 through his enrollment at Indiana in January 2006 … appeared in 76 matches while at the Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla., starting 51 and recording one goal and three assists … earned 17 caps as a member of the U-17 National Team, including three starts at the 2005 FIFA Under-17 World Youth Championship in Peru … represented the U.S. at the Pan Am Games in Brazil in the summer of 2007.

PERSONAL: Is the son of Larry Alston and Jeanne Fox-Alston … has one older brother, Kenneth (30) … majored in management at Indiana … enjoys hip hop and R&B and counts Lil Wayne among his favorite musical artists … favorite movies include Gladiator and Man on Fire … uncle Mitchell Johnson played in the NFL for the Rams, Cowboys and Redskins in the 1960s and early 70s.

How Acquired: Drafted by the Revolution in the first round (10th overall) of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft